Date night: cooking at home

A few Valentine's Days ago, my husband surprised me with an early gift: the book Dinner Dates: A Cookbook for Couples Cooking Together by Martha Cotton. Back then the kids were little, babysitters were few and far between, and nights out to dinner a rarity. Even married couples need dating help, and Martha came to our rescue.

We'd feed the kids early, pop in one of their favorite videos, and begin with "marinating the chefs", clearly an inspired idea for frazzled married couples and just-dating folks alike. Sangria for the Everyone Loves Pasta menu, ice-cold beer for the Indoor Picnic, and of course champagne for The Ultimate Valentine's Day Dinner.

We worked our way through every menu, which cleverly divides the chopping, dicing, stirring, and cooking duties between Chef Numero Uno and Chef Numero Due. Every recipe is simple yet great-tasting, and there are numerous prep-ahead tips for success. We never made a meal we didn't like, partly because you can't go wrong when the chefs are properly marinated.

A table set with fresh linens, flickering candles, and just the two of us made the evening extra special. If you can't find Martha's book (I just googled it - it's still available), adapt your own menus to two chefs, a bottle of wine, delicious food, and of course - romance!